Abstract: Plasma processing of plural substrates is performed in a plasma processing apparatus, which is provided with a plasma processing chamber having an antenna electrode and a lower electrode for placing and retaining the plural substrates in turn within the plasma processing chamber, a gas feeder for feeding processing gas into the processing chamber, a vacuum pump for discharging gas from the processing chamber via a vacuum valve, and a solenoid coil for forming a magnetic field within the processing chamber. At least one of the plural substrates is placed on the lower electrode, and the processing gas is fed into the processing chamber. RF power is fed to the antenna electrode via a matching network to produce a plasma within the processing chamber in which a magnetic field has been formed by the solenoid coil. This placing of at least one substrate and this feeding of the processing gas are then repeated until the plasma processing of all of the plural substrates is completed.

Abstract: Plasma processing of plural substrates is performed in a plasma processing apparatus, which is provided with a plasma processing chamber having an antenna electrode and a lower electrode for placing and retaining the plural substrates in turn within the plasma processing chamber, a gas feeder for feeding processing gas into the processing chamber, a vacuum pump for discharging gas from the processing chamber via a vacuum valve, and a solenoid coil for forming a magnetic field within the processing chamber. At least one of the plural substrates is placed on the lower electrode, and the processing gas is fed into the processing chamber. RF power is fed to the antenna electrode via a matching network to produce a plasma within the processing chamber in which a magnetic field has been formed by the solenoid coil. This placing of at least one substrate and this feeding of the processing gas are then repeated until the plasma processing of all of the plural substrates is completed.

Abstract: Plasma processing of plural substrates is performed in a plasma processing apparatus, which is provided with a plasma processing chamber having an antenna electrode and a lower electrode for placing and retaining the plural substrates in turn within the plasma processing chamber, a gas feeder for feeding processing gas into the processing chamber, a vacuum pump for discharging gas from the processing chamber via a vacuum valve, and a solenoid coil for forming a magnetic field within the processing chamber. At least one of the plural substrates is placed on the lower electrode, and the processing gas is fed into the processing chamber. RF power is fed to the antenna electrode via a matching network to produce a plasma within the processing chamber in which a magnetic field has been formed by the solenoid coil. This placing of at least one substrate and this feeding of the processing gas are then repeated until the plasma processing of all of the plural substrates is completed.

Abstract: Plasma processing of plural substrates is performed in a plasma processing apparatus, which is provided with a plasma processing chamber having an antenna electrode and a lower electrode for placing and retaining the plural substrates in turn within the plasma processing chamber, a gas feeder for feeding processing gas into the processing chamber, a vacuum pump for discharging gas from the processing chamber via a vacuum valve, and a solenoid coil for forming a magnetic field within the processing chamber. At least one of the plural substrates is placed on the lower electrode, and the processing gas is fed into the processing chamber. RF power is fed to the antenna electrode via a matching network to produce a plasma within the processing chamber in which a magnetic field has been formed by the solenoid coil. This placing of at least one substrate and this feeding of the processing gas are then repeated until the plasma processing of all of the plural substrates is completed.

Abstract: Plasma processing of plural substrates is performed in a plasma processing apparatus, which is provided with a plasma processing chamber having an antenna electrode and a lower electrode for placing and retaining the plural substrates in turn within the plasma processing chamber, a gas feeder for feeding processing gas into the processing chamber, a vacuum pump for discharging gas from the processing chamber via a vacuum valve, and a solenoid coil for forming a magnetic field within the processing chamber. At least one of the plural substrates is placed on the lower electrode, and the processing gas is fed into the processing chamber. RF power is fed to the antenna electrode via a matching network to produce a plasma within the processing chamber in which a magnetic field has been formed by the solenoid coil. This placing of at least one substrate and this feeding of the processing gas are then repeated until the plasma processing of all of the plural substrates is completed.

Abstract: In a test strip measuring method in which a coloration measurement is conducted while a test strip (4) is being moved, there are detected the optical characteristics R of the ground of a test strip and the optical characteristics T of a test line (4b) which has appeared on the test strip, and the test strip is judged based on the difference or ratio between R and T. Even though the ground of the test strip presents variations in optical characteristics, and even though there are variations among samples or among test strips, such variations can be absorbed, thus assuring an accurate judgment.

Abstract: The invention provides a plasma etching method that does not create any difference in profile between sparse and dense portions of the mask pattern in processing a device having a space width equal to or smaller than 100 nm. An added gas having a high C/F ratio such as C4F8 gas capable of increasing the generation of CF2 radicals that may become sidewall protection film components having a small attachment coefficient is added to the etching gas in order to form sidewall protection films on dense pattern portions, and in addition, Xe gas is added in order to suppress dissociation effect by lowering the electron temperature.

Abstract: Plasma processing of plural substrates is performed in a plasma processing apparatus, which is provided with a plasma processing chamber having an antenna electrode and a lower electrode for placing and retaining the plural substrates in turn within the plasma processing chamber, a gas feeder for feeding processing gas into the processing chamber, a vacuum pump for discharging gas from the processing chamber via a vacuum valve, and a solenoid coil for forming a magnetic field within the processing chamber. At least one of the plural substrates is placed on the lower electrode, and the processing gas is fed into the processing chamber. RF power is fed to the antenna electrode via a matching network to produce a plasma within the processing chamber in which a magnetic field has been formed by the solenoid coil. This placing of at least one substrate and this feeding of the processing gas are then repeated until the plasma processing of all of the plural substrates is completed.

Abstract: In processing a semiconductor device, foreign particles that may cause defects are reduced to improve production yield without decreasing availability of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The apparatus comprises a mechanism operable to control an ion sheath 32w on an electrode 14 for mounting a wafer 2 and an ion sheath 32f on a member 141 mounted on the periphery of the electrode 14. The thickness of the ion sheath 32f is made smaller than the thickness of the ion sheath 32w to provide a slope of ion sheath 32s near the edge of the wafer 2, thereby causing ions 31 to be obliquely incident on the wafer edge to reduce deposition film on the wafer edge.

Abstract: In a test strip measuring method in which a coloration measurement is conducted while a test strip (4) is being moved, there are detected the optical characteristics R of the ground of a test strip and the optical characteristics T of a test line (4b) which has appeared on the test strip, and the test strip is judged based on the difference or ratio between R and T. Even though the ground of the test strip presents variations in optical characteristics, and even though there are variations among samples or among test strips, such variations can be absorbed, thus assuring an accurate judgment.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing a plasma-etching of a LSI device including a Cu interconnection, a low-k film, and a diffusion prevention film has a treatment chamber, into which an etching gas is introduced, and a support table which is equipped with electrodes and on which said LSI device is placed. In this apparatus, the etching gasses are turned into plasma by supplying radio frequency power to electrodes provided within the treatment chamber, so that the LSI device is etched with ions of the plasma. In this apparatus, a sulfur-containing gas and a fluorine-containing gas are mixed to the etching gasses, so that the diffusion prevention film is selectively etched against the low-k film.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing a plasma-etching of a LSI device including a Cu interconnection, a low-k film, and a diffusion prevention film has a treatment chamber, into which an etching gas is introduced, and a support table which is equipped with electrodes and on which said LSI device is placed. In this apparatus, the etching gasses are turned into plasma by supplying radio frequency power to electrodes provided within the treatment chamber, so that the LSI device is etched with ions of the plasma. In this apparatus, a sulfur-containing gas and a fluorine-containing gas are mixed to the etching gasses, so that the diffusion prevention film is selectively etched against the low-k film.

Abstract: In a test strip measuring method in which a coloration measurement is conducted while a test strip (4) is being moved, there are detected the optical characteristics R of the ground of a test strip and the optical characteristics T of a test line (4b) which has appeared on the test strip, and the test strip is judged based on the difference or ratio between R and T. Even though the ground of the test strip presents variations in optical characteristics, and even though there are variations among samples or among test strips, such variations can be absorbed, thus assuring an accurate judgment.

Abstract: A correction curve (FIG. 19) is prepared by plotting 12CO2 concentrations and 13CO2/12CO2 concentration ratios which are determined on the basis of a calibration curve and 13CO2 and 12CO2 absorbances of gaseous samples having the same 13CO2/12CO2 concentration ratio but known different 12CO2 concentrations. A gaseous test sample containing 13CO2 and 12CO2 as component gases is introduced into a cell, and spectrometrically measured. A 12CO2 concentration of the gaseous test sample is determined by way of the spectrometric measurement. A concentration ratio correction value is obtained on the basis of the correction curve and the 12CO2 concentration of the gaseous test sample thus determined. A measured 13CO2/12CO2 concentration ratio is divided by the concentration ratio correction value thus obtained for correction of the 13CO2/12CO2 concentration ratio. Thus, the measurement accuracy of the concentration ratios of the component gases can be improved.

Abstract: A correction curve (FIG. 19) is prepared by plotting .sup.12 CO.sub.2 concentrations and .sup.13 CO.sub.2 /.sup.12 CO.sub.2 concentration ratios which are determined on the basis of a calibration curve and .sup.13 CO.sub.2 and .sup.12 CO.sub.2 absorbances of gaseous samples having the same .sup.13 CO.sub.2 /.sup.12 CO.sub.2 concentration ratio but known different .sup.12 CO.sub.2 concentrations. A gaseous test sample containing .sup.13 CO.sub.2 and .sup.12 CO.sub.2 as component gases is introduced into a cell, and spectrometrically measured. A .sup.12 CO.sub.2 concentration of the gaseous test sample is determined by way of the spectrometric measurement. A concentration ratio correction value is obtained on the basis of the correction curve and the .sup.12 CO.sub.2 concentration of the gaseous test sample thus determined. A measured .sup.13 CO.sub.2 /.sup.12 CO.sub.2 concentration ratio is divided by the concentration ratio correction value thus obtained for correction of the .sup.13 CO.sub.2 /.sup.12 CO.sub.